


Of bad days and silver linings

by Libika



Category: Free!
Genre: Bullying, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-15
Updated: 2014-08-15
Packaged: 2018-02-13 06:21:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2140428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Libika/pseuds/Libika
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A bad day can ruin your mood. We all know this. But sometimes, the right person can make our day brighter than the Sun. You just need a silver lining.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of bad days and silver linings

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, I would like to thank all the persons on Tumblr who gave some good nicknames for these two dorks.  
> This fanfic is for bbynagisa, a wonderful blogger whose idea gave birth to this story!  
> Thank you !

Everyone hate Mondays. That was a well known fact. Teenagers, children, adults, absolutely everybody. Really, how could you be happy on such a day? First day of school of the week, first day of work, first day of hell. But, as we all know, there are exceptions. There are people who consider Monday as a blessing. They wake up with a bright smile on their face, ready for a new adventure. They throw their bed sheets away, and run to get prepared.

Nagisa Hazuki was one of these persons.

Each day, he would wake up earlier than a teenager normally did. He had his own routine. The blond takes his phone each morning to wish a good morning to his boyfriend. The replies are just as cheesy as Nagisa expects. Smiling, he goes to his bathroom. Brushing a few strands of hair, he takes a small tube out of his shelf. A strawberry flavored lip-gloss.

Weird for a boy.

But Nagisa doesn’t care. His tastes are his own, and if someone disagrees, it’s not his problem. He knows that not everyone in his class, his school, is fine with it. They are quiet, but the disapproving looks he’s been given are worth a thousand words. He leant to endure it. After all, what was wrong with a little bit of make-up?

Nothing.

That was his usual routine. Lip-gloss, then a bit of thinking. No matter how many times you claim, yell even, that others’ opinion is none of your concern, a small, tiny part of yourself cares. Cares about the teasing. Cares about the insults and the looks. Simply cares about some teenagers’ harsh comments and behavior.

The liquid lip gloss was a beautiful shade of amaranth. Natsuki, which was the second oldest of the family, gave it to him as a present from one of her trip. It was supposed to be a prank, but he liked the color, so he kept it. Taking the applicator stick, he put on the pink substance, his plump lips slowly being colored. Most people on this earth would of Nagisa as a monster. Something out of the ordinary to such an enormous degree, that it should be burned alive. Thankfully, no one bothered him recently. Life was peaceful, he had a wonderful boyfriend and his times were getting better.

Everything was perfect.

Well, almost. Glancing at his alarm clock, he realized he was late for school. A few minutes weren’t going to kill him. H took his bag, stormed down the stairs. Nagisa almost fell, managing to keep his balance at the last moment. His mother was in the kitchen, preparing breakfast, while his father was reading.

“Good morning!” He announced loudly as he entered. His parents looked up, smiling at their son’s bubbly voice.

“Good morning to you too, Nagisa. I know you are going to be late, but at least eat something.” His mother told him. Grapping a piece of toast covered in strawberry jam, he quickly ran out the house, not forgetting to say goodbye.

 

“Mom, dad, see you later!”

And just like this, he was running to catch his train.

Nagisa’s mother sighted, putting the last pancake on her husband’s plate. She wished she had told her son. Sometimes, he could be too stubborn, and never listen to her at all.

“What is it Noriko? Is something the matter?” Her husband asked, his voice hinting curiosity and concern.

“Nothing Keisuke. I just wished Nagisa would listen to me sometimes. Especially about that lip gloss Natsuki offered him.” Another sigh came from her lips. A small smile appeared on her husband’s face, slightly forced.

“This again? We already talked about this twice.” No matter what he said, his wife was as stubborn as her own son. Nagisa is free to wear whatever he wants.

“But the red one looks better on him!” She said, a pout on her face.

*******

Nagisa couldn’t believe it. He was going to miss his train if he didn’t hurry. He began running as fast as he could. As he did so, he finally saw the train station. The train was arriving, and he was relieved to see Rei waiting for him.

“Rei-chan! I’m here!” He called his boyfriend, who turned his head to see Nagisa. A smile soon bloomed on his face, making him more beautiful than ever. The blond felt happy whenever Rei was. He was breathtakingly beautiful. His purple eyes shining behind his glasses, and such a funny personality. Rei was perfect in every way possible, even if he more than once claimed the opposite.

He was all Nagisa could have hoped for.

“Nagisa-kun! You’re late again, we could have missed the train and run all the way to the school ! It wouldn’t have been beautiful at all!” Rei almost screamed this sentence. Hands raised high, a light blush on his cheeks, he looked like a mad scientist. Or a shojo manga character. It depends on what you prefer.

“I’m sorry, Rei-chan!” Nagisa stoke out his tongue, a playful smile on his lips. Rei sighed, a light blush and small, almost unnoticeable grin.

“You’re not even sorry, are you? Well, It doesn’t really matter, here, let’s go shall we ?” He extended his hand, which Nagisa took, his smile brighter than the Sun itself. Even as they got on the train, others looking at them with disgust, they never let go of each other. Of course Nagisa was worried about people’s opinions. Of course he hated these looks. Of course he wanted to hide in a corner.

But most of all, he trusted Rei.

And for now, it was more than enough.

*******

They walked hand in hand to school, until Rei stopped in a narrow alley, not far from the school gates. He quickly took a glance behind them, making sure no one was seeing. He took a deep breath, red as a tomato.

“Rei-chan, are you o-” Before he even got to finish his sentence, Rei kissed him on the lips. It was a simple kiss. The union of two boys who loved each other. There were no tongues, nor caresses. They were still shy. Holding hands wasn’t difficult in front of others, but kissing was entirely different. To kiss your loved one was to show your passion to the whole world.

Nagisa didn’t consider himself to be this courageous. He was optimistic, bubbly and a little bit too straight forward from time to time, but courageous? A little, like the rest of the world. He didn’t like remarks on his make-up or clothes, but he never showed his uneasiness. He did not want to worry Rei or any of his friends. They all had a lot on their minds. Makoto and Haruka are still thinking about their future, Rei has an important exam coming soon, Nitori is trying to improve his swimming, Rin is working hard to achieve his dream.

He wasn’t going to disturb them.

He put his head on Rei’s shoulder, earphones glued to his ears. The blue haired teen smiled fondly at the other boy.

“Nagisa-kun, it’s okay to sleep if you’re too tired. I’ll wake you up when we arrive.” He said with adoration, as he let his hand caress the soft, blond locks.

“Okay…ReiRei” The blond let it out, a small almost mischievous smile on his lips. He closed his eyes, not waiting for his boyfriend’s reaction.

“Don’t call me that! Or I’ll call you muffin. No. Maybe cupcake? Or muffin top? No! I’ll call you…hum, what about-” He stopped midway, noticing Nagisa sleeping. With his earphones blocking all the remarks and muttering, he was peacefully sleeping. A thin line of drool formed itself at the corner of his mouth. A damp mark on Rei’s shoulder. The teen smiled. Nagisa was, despite his brutal honesty, adorable. He was precious to him, and Rei made sure that Nagisa knew it. Covering his face with kisses, hugging him tightly at night, telling him a hundred times he loved him.

It wasn’t logical, his old self would say.

But, sometimes, being illogical was not a bad thing.

Putting his hand on the blond’s shoulder, he kissed his forehead. He soon noticed the glances people on the train were giving him.

_Oh my, did you see that?_

_A boy with another one? How shameful!_

_The blond one, isn’t that the neighbors’ son?_

_Is it even a boy? He’s wearing lip gloss!_

_Gross!_

_Horrible! What are they even doing here?_

He tried to remain calm. Being angry wasn’t going to make the situation better. He looked down at Nagisa, seeing his lips tremble and tears flowing down quietly. He was in pain, and the only thing he could do was to tighten his grip on the blond. Holding him as if his life depended on it. He knew he shouldn’t let his anger burst. He had to.

So, he held it back. Watching Nagisa finally sleeping, without any tears, calmed him. He let his hand fall from the blond’s shoulder, to rest on his waist. And so, he waited for their stop. To have his sunshine next to him was the best thing he could hope for.  _“Oh God, I’m becoming cheesy.”_ This wasn’t beautiful at all. But if it was for, or because of, Nagisa, then everything was as beautiful as his boyfriend’s smile.

There he was, being cheesy.

Again.

*******

“Nagisa-kun, wake up! We’re here !” shaking his companion's shoulder, Rei tried to wake him up, or else, they'd be horribly late. The blond slowly stood up, a thin line of drool at the corner of his mouth. Rei couldn't hold back his amusement. Chuckling lightly, he used his sleeve to clean Nagisa's cheek.

Together, they got off the train. As much as the blond wished to hold hands, he knew it wouldn't be safe. Even thought the school seemed quite tolerant, they preferred to avoid any risks. They both understood that. Acts of affection in public, just like a while ago in the train, were rare. Rei only took the initiative if he considered that Nagisa needed it.

No matter how cheerful, bubbly, optimistic he seemed.

If something was wrong, he'd do anything to cheer Nagisa up.

And so, just like this, they head out to school, not holding hands, but as close to each other as can be.

*******

Monday. The worst thing about it, no,  _the only horrible thing about it_ , was their new schedule. They had classes together in the morning, but not during the afternoon. After lunch, they wouldn't see each other until the swim club. It saddened both of them, but it was only for the afternoon. Only three hours. It was nothing. Nagisa could survive it. He will. He knows he will. 

At least, when he arrived to his classroom, he thought he would.

** *** **

Classes in the morning were his favorite. It was the only day when they had two hours in a row of History. He loved the subject. He liked to learn new things, but to learn about an era, a century, he never lived in, was truly fascinating. Rei wasn't really fond of it, for he preferred the “precise and incomparable beauty of science.” The blond followed the lesson, took notes, just like any good student would.

He tried to ignore his classmates' nasty comments. On his height, on his gloss, on his sexuality, on-

On practically anything they knew about him.

Which means, mostly trivial matters.

He hoped it would last the day. Or else, it might not be as lovely as he thought he would be.

“ _It's only for a few hours, cheer up. In the end, I'll see a wonderful Reinbow!”_ He thought, looking at Rei's back, a small smile on his face. 

The bell rang.

** *** **

They met Haruka, Makoto and Gou on the rooftop. Their lunch on the ground, they talked about their day, as usual. Classes, mostly daydreaming for Haruka, and most of all, the upcoming tournament. For a month, they've been training hard, to he point of exhaustion. Gou was stricter than her usual self. Which was saying something. With Haruka's help, they made a brand new menu, adding new exercises. 

Everything was going smoothly. 

Rei and Nagisa were sitting next to each other, hands entwined, eyes closed. But only for a minute. As soon as they opened them, they kept their gaze locked, until they burst out laughing. Seeing this, the other members chuckled, in the free swimmer's case it was almost unnoticeable, Makoto had a motherly smile on his face. The weather was absolutely great. 

It was a good day.

It was a wonderful day.

** *** **

What a horrible day. After lunch, they all separated for their respective classes. Nagisa even got the chance to kiss Rei on the cheek. The latter blushed like a tomato. But he still did the same to Nagisa. 

The blond headed to his first class, which was literature. He was good at it, but not like Makoto. Still, he was good. When he arrived, he saw his classmates looking at him, a mocking rictus on their lips. He knew what was coming. God, he knew. He was used to it. It was okay, he had his defenses, his façade. Nothing they could say could break his spirit. Absolutely nothing.

“Hey, look who's here! If that isn't the class' faggot!”a guy from the class said. Their teacher was known for being late, fifteen minutes late to be precise, so they could say whatever they wanted. The blond ignored the comment. He sat down, And opened his book.

“Don't say that! Are you even sure it's a boy? What that pink gloss I thought he was a girl!” a girl next to him almost screamed the sentence. The whole class began to laugh. He closed his eyes, hoping for the noise to disappear. Right now, he wanted to be a mouse. A louse that could hide in a small corner, until the monsters were killed. He wanted to cry. He wanted to let his tears flow, like an endless torrent. He wanted silence and peace. He wanted sweets, for it eased his mind. 

He wanted Rei.

Rei would hold him until he felt happy again. A smile on his lips, and a probably ridiculous remark on how he wasn't beautiful when he cried. It was his way of cheering him up. And it never failed. But Rei wasn't here with him.

“ Look! The fag's gonna cry! He wants his boyfriend! He must be a fucking slut, huh? You like that don't you? Sucking on a guy's cock!” the same boy as before exclaimed. He held back his tears for as long as he could. He can't show any weakness. He has to be strong. He will not cry. He will not. His grip on his book tightened so much, his knuckles were almost white with anger and sadness. Only five minutes. Five. Just five. He can take it. They were quiet during the class. Of course they were. They were perfect students after all.

“ He's really crying!” looking down at his book, Nagisa noticed a few wet spots. He put a hand on his cheek. He never noticed that he was crying. The salty drops fell on his lap. He quickly used his sleeve to wipe them off. He glanced at the clock. Only one minute. Despite the noise, he could hear footsteps coming from the corridor. Only one minute. Only fifty seconds. Thirty seconds. Ten seconds. Six. Three. 

The door opened.

Clapping his hands, the teacher silenced the class. Nagisa let out a sigh of relief. He felt tired. Crying often had this effect. The teacher, noticing his student's tired face, asked him if he wanted to go to the infirmary. He declined. He survived these minutes. 

So he'll stay until the end.

He wanted to cry.

Again, what a horrible day.

** *** **

His head down, Nagisa walked to the pool. Gou and the others were talking about the new menu. He smiled and nodded, but wasn't really there. The memory of his afternoon class was fresh. He didn't want to worry his friends. Their manager had not yet finished her sentence that Haruka dived into the pool. She let an exasperated sigh. The blond sat, his feet in the water, a hairpin in his right hand. With the other, he pushed his hair back, then tried to hold it with the hairpin.

He failed.

He tried a second time. Without any success. Exasperated, he let out a frustrated sigh. Pushing his hair back again, he tried for the third time. He failed. 

What a horrible day.

He was on the verge of tears. Suddenly, he felt two hands on his head, larger than his own, and wet. A pair of soft lips on his hair. One of the hands took the hairpin, and managed to hold his hair. Nagisa turned his head.

Rei. Of course it would be him.

“Rei-chan...” he didn't know what to say. Rei looked at him with adoration and longing. His purple eyes were shining like two beautiful jewels.

“Nagisa-kun, I won't ask what happened if you don't want to talk about it. But, know this. I love you. And, you're not beautiful when you're sad.” hearing this, the blond let his tears flow. His other teammates were looking at the scene from a distance. They were worried, but he was with Rei.

He was okay now.

The blond put his arms around his boyfriend's neck. The purple eyed boy put his arms around the waist of his loved one. Tightening his embrace. They spend a minute, that felt like an hour, in this position. Rei let go of Nagisa, only to kiss him. The kiss was chaste, and sweet, and before ending it, Nagisa smiled. So did Rei. And Haruka. And Makoto. And Gou.

 

This day wasn't so bad after all. 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed reading this story! Reviews are more than welcome!


End file.
